A Bit of Fuzz and Some Birthday Cheer
by flutiedutiedute
Summary: Pure un-adulterated Carby fluff with a little bit of angst thrown in for good measure. :)


A Bit of Fuzz and Some Birthday Cheer  
  
Author: Robbie (gigglgrl26@hotmail.com)  
  
Disclaimer: Nobody in this story belongs to me, they belong to some rich lucky others whom we know and love for bringing them to us. The author intends no infringement. As a side note, please don't sue me, 'cause we all know I have only about enough to buy an ice-cream cone at McDonalds ($ 0.35) to credit to my name.  
  
Summary: A little bit of Carby fluff to hold us through until it happens. Yes, this is Carby … if that bothers you, I suggest you leave now because all flames I get simply because its not Luby or Carsan will be deleted. Just warning you now.  
  
Spoilers: Beyond Repair and all episodes leading up to it. For the purposes of this story we're going to pretend that the Carsan scene In BR never happened… as well as some of the other stuff but you should understand when you read the story.  
  
Archive: Ask and you shall receive … email me at the above address and I'll let you know  
  
I'm going to warn you, the format is kind of strange … there are dates that obviously indicate a change in day. Then, *^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* Indicates some sort of scene change which will be within the different days. Kind of confusing, but hopefully you get the idea (  
  
Authors Note: This takes place around the same time as the episode 'Beyond Repair.' It starts out before and ends after. The proceeding events are mostly out of my own creation, but some of the stuff happened on the show. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
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January 5, 2002  
  
Carter rolled over in his bed, carefully trying not to disrupt the woman that still slept soundly, nestled in between the sheets. He tiptoed across his bedroom and slipped his socked feet into a pair of slippers she'd given him for Christmas. He then proceeded to don an old 'Northwestern' sweatshirt over his pajama shirt to keep the frigid air outside of the closed bedroom from freezing him.  
  
His eyes snapped upward as Susan rolled over and groaned, but she only changed position slightly and fell back asleep. Subconsciously, he let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he was going behind her back, but she had come to his place at around 3 am after a long double shift. She was exhausted, and he wanted her to catch up on some sleep. Soon enough her breathing resumed a normal pattern, and he tiptoed across the room. The door opened slowly and quietly and he slipped out.  
  
Now that Susan slept soundly behind a closed door, Carter was slightly less concerned about remaining silent. His slippered feet pattered across the hall into his study, where he quickly sat down at the large oaken desk. A plain paper bag that read 'hallmark' rested precariously on the edge of the desk. Carter grabbed the bag and opened it to reveal a simple 'Happy Birthday' card.  
  
He knew that things between he and Abby had been somewhat strained for a while. And since it was her birthday in about five days on January 10, he'd purchased a card for her the other night. And so, this morning while his girlfriend slept, he had decided that now would be the best time to write a quick little message and mail it off in hopes she would receive it on her birthday. Unfortunately, writing a quick little message was not as easy as it seemed. Because truthfully, he really wanted to say more than "Happy Birthday, Love Carter."  
  
The Card was simple … "On your birthday, you might feel extra special," it read on the outside. The words were set off by a light and dark purple background with little pictures of flowers and gift boxes. On the inside it said, "But I think you're pretty special everyday." He had purchased it on a whim as both a birthday greeting and a sort of apology for being so distant as of late. He'd spent the better part of ten minutes searching through the cards, but when he came upon this one, it had caught his eye immediately.  
  
With a sigh, Carter picked up a pen and began to write, trying to capture his feelings. He opened the card to the inside. "Dear Abby," he penned in right above the typeset already on the card. Then he began to write under the printed text. "Happy Birthday! I hope it's a great one, you deserve it! ~ John Carter." As he finished signing his name with a flourish, Susan padded into the room, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.  
  
"Morning Carter," she greeted tiredly.  
  
"G'morning sleepy head" he answered playfully, his eyes dancing. Susan glared at him and walked closer, to get a view of what lay in front of him.  
  
She leaned over him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What's that?" He turned around in his seat to look at her.  
  
"Card for Abby. Her birthday is on the tenth," he replied nonchalantly.  
  
"Oh." Susan reached out towards him, looking slightly jealous. "Can I see it?" Carter shrugged again, and handed it to her. She murmured something incoherent, which he took as approval.  
  
"You think she'll like it?" Susan nodded, biting her lip to keep from saying something she would regret. She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. Carter raised his eyebrows, "What did you say?"  
  
Susan decided against it. "Nothing … breakfast?"  
  
He smiled. "Let's go."  
  
January 6, 2002  
  
"Then we can go have dinner at this nice little bistro type place near my apartment… Carter?" Carter turned to his girlfriend of the past couple of weeks. She was babbling on again, just like always, planning what they would do and when they would do it. Did she actually ask if it was okay? No. Well, maybe it was that he was just simply uninterested in this relationship and she took his nods as approval. In actuality, his nodding gesture was only a reflexive move, and it had proved to put him into many situations that he'd wished he'd actually heard about before being pulled along on.  
  
"Sorry, Susan. What did you just say?" He really was sorry. Sorry they'd become an "item." Sorry it was never going to work between them, and that Susan wasn't catching on so fast to this point. Sorry that he was going to hurt her when the reality hit that the relationship wasn't going anywhere. The fateful day when they would breakup.  
  
Susan smiled. "That's okay." She reached out and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Is something wrong? You're kind of spacing out." She paused for a second. "We don't have to go out tonight, you know. Or … you could pick someplace to go."  
  
Inwardly Carter's heart wailed in sorrow. It screamed, "I don't love you, I don't even like you in that way. This relationship was fun for awhile in that awkward adolescent way, but now it's enough. We're over, because really, we never were!" But that was the sincere Carter, the true Carter. Instead he smiled and let the rational Carter take over, "No, it's fine. I guess I'm just tired is all. We can go to that restaurant of yours."  
  
"Are you sure?" She questioned tentatively, suddenly overcome with the reality that something was bothering him. Something that he didn't want to share with her, which could only mean one thing…  
  
"I'm sure, it sounds great." Great. The word echoed in his mind, though his empty and broken heart. This was just great, peachy. Now he really did have to spend the evening with her. It wasn't that he hated her. It wasn't that he hated her company. The truth was she was a great person, sweet, funny, and beautiful. He liked her as a friend, but the romantic feelings that had re-surfaced when she came back had quickly fizzled out like the bubbles atop a soda. She just wasn't the one for him. She just wasn't Abby.  
  
"I have to get back to work now; I'll meet you in the lounge at around six. Then we can leave, okay?" She paused again and sighed, as his attention was again directed elsewhere. She could only hope that it was just something down below, and not a certain someone. "Carter?" she prompted, a hint of annoyance entering her voice.  
  
"Yeah, I'll see you at six." Why Carter? Why couldn't she just call him John, would it be that hard? It wasn't as if his name was long and complicated, or even hard to pronounce. They had been together for almost a month, and she was still calling him by his last name. How could they become intimate with one-another if she refused to even use his name?  
  
Carter rested his elbow on the ledge of the roof and sighed, his thoughts immediately turning to a certain brunette who had captured his heart long ago. In fact, with her his heart still lay, damaged and bruised just waiting for her reciprocal love to make it whole. Abby, he realized, called him John. Even without becoming physical, they had crossed that barrier which he had yet to cross with Susan. With Susan, the relationship was mostly two friends aching to be involved in a loving relationship. No romantic emotion involved, they were just too close as friends.  
  
He assumed that was the reason he and Abby had yet to hook up. The emotional baggage was still too heavy to clear. But he would wait for her. Even if it meant waiting for an eternity, he would wait.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
He hadn't wanted to disappoint her. So here they were at the bistro, waiting for dinner. They were both in a bad mood. Carter was grouchy because of his lack of sleep and enthusiasm at going out dinner. But he hadn't wanted to cook and nor had Susan, and he hadn't wanted to let her down. Deep down inside, he felt the kind of love for her that was like a childhood best friend who had suddenly returned after many years of not speaking. And once they were together, he wanted to be with her because they had fun. But he needed to find his companion in life, because he was getting older every day and he didn't want to end up a lone bachelor. And neither of them was interested in the kind of relationship that would become something more.  
  
Susan was in a bad mood because she could tell that something was bothering him. And that bothered her. Because she was pretty sure that the thing that was on his mind wasn't whether to get French Onion soup or a salad, but rather a friend of his. A certain brunette friend, whose birthday was coming up. A certain brunette friend who happened to be a female. But what bothered her most was that he was out with her, but obviously not enjoying it. In fact, she doubted he was even thinking about it at the moment.  
  
"How was your day, Sus?" he asked, trying to lighten up and make some conversation. He reached his hand out across the table and touched hers. She smiled lightly, and reached slightly closer so that they were holding hands across the table. All of a sudden she was visibly happier and in a better mood.  
  
"Okay. Nothing special, it was just the regular workload. Not enough doctors and nurses, too many cranky patients, you know the deal. What about you?"  
  
"Pretty much the same I would have to say. Nothing terribly interesting." She nodded. A second later, the waiter walked up to them and set their meal down.  
  
"Bon Appetite." He said, before walking away. They chorused a quick thank you, before digging into the meal.  
  
"You were right, Sus, this place is really good," Carter replied after taking a taste of his food. She smiled and nodded.  
  
"Listen Carter, I was thinking. We both have the weekend off in about three weekends. Maybe we should take a nice romantic weekend somewhere."  
  
"We could go skiing. Haven't done that in a while, it would be fun."  
  
"That sounds good."  
  
"Good." He nodded, wiping a bit of sauce from his face with the napkin.  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
It had been an amicable dinner and evening to say the least. And now, at roughly two AM, Carter lay in bed next to Susan, unable to sleep. "Susan… you awake?" He whispered into the darkness.  
  
She sighed. "Yeah."  
  
"Something wrong?" He asked carefully. Their dinner had started out tense and awkward, but he thought they'd ended up having a pretty decent time.  
  
"Sorta …" She turned away and snuggled further into the comforter.  
  
Carter rolled closer to her, reaching out to rub her shoulder. "Do you … uh … want to talk about it?" This was new. They rarely talked about problems, but he figured there was no better time to start then the present.  
  
He felt her shrug her shoulders under his hand. "Please?"  
  
"Fine." Susan turned around and looked him in the eye. "Are you … thinking about Abby? Honestly and truthfully. Carter … John. I see the way you look at her when you think neither of us is looking your way. And well, you and I both know that this relationship isn't really going anywhere."  
  
He looked sheepishly thoughtful. "I think you're not over her, Carter. John," she corrected herself. She proceeded to roll her eyes and sit up in the bed. "When I first came here, she had just broken up with Luka and you were pining after her but didn't want to be the rebound guy. I think we were both overcome by seeing each other again after so long and our close friendship re-blossomed into more. But I don't think either one of us is going to be able to get over that friendship barrier, I'm still the resident and you're still the med student. We're great friends, and I want it to stay that way. Listen, neither of us is getting any younger…" Her voice trailed off quietly.  
  
Carter grabbed her hand and began to laugh. "What?" Susan asked, fearful he was mocking her.  
  
"I …" He couldn't catch his breath. "I suddenly feel so much better. What you said … it's exactly what I've been thinking."  
  
She smiled at him, understanding his sudden emotional breakthrough and in turn began to laugh with him. "So … we can still be friends?"  
  
Carter caught his breath. "Yeah … I wouldn't have it any other way. C'mere." He pulled her into a friendly hug, and they spent their last night together in the same bed.  
  
January 10, 2001  
  
Abby walked into her apartment. Only moments ago, six years of sobriety had been flushed down the toilet. But it had felt so good. The taste of the beer, sweetly bitter slipping down her throat and settling in her stomach. It had been new but comforting. Only now, the consequences of her actions were beginning to take effect. The guilt.  
  
Frankly, her birthday had sucked. The only person who remembered was her mother. Work had been hell on earth. The world had come crashing down in two words. Paul Sobricki. She'd spent all day trying to hide him from Carter, but her futile attempts had failed. And now Carter was an emotional wreck and there was nothing she could do. Only to make matters worse she'd let down poor Douglas.  
  
Abby set all of the mail down on the counter, and took the one birthday card. Much to her pleasure and surprise it was from Carter. She made a mental note to thank him before settling down to have some dinner.  
  
January 13, 2002  
  
Abby walked into the lounge where she found Carter sitting amid a sea of charts. "Hey John."  
  
He looked up. "Hey."  
  
"You know, you still owe me coffee and a snack from my birthday … I believe I was promised a rain check."  
  
Carter chuckled. "That I do. You off?" Abby nodded eagerly. "Good. I'll meet you at Doc's in like five minutes."  
  
Abby smiled at him. "Sounds like a plan."  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*  
  
Carter was greeted a blast of warmth as he entered Doc Magoos, leaving the chilly winter cold outside. The buzz of people talking and the distinct smell of grease filled the little diner that had served as his dining room almost as often as the dining room in his own home. His eyes scanned the booths, searching for the woman he'd agreed to meet before being yanked into an incoming trauma. Slowly his face broke into a sly grin, upon seeing her sitting alone, staring into a cup of coffee.  
  
"Abby," he called, waving his hand.  
  
She looked up, acknowledging him immediately. "Oh, hey." She paused as he drew closer, the distance between them shrinking quickly as he crossed the room in two long strides. "What took you so long?"  
  
"Weaver pulled me into a trauma as I was walking out to meet you." She nodded.  
  
"Take a seat." He silently obliged, the smile never leaving his face. "Are you off?" she inquired.  
  
He glanced at the clock on the wall behind her, confirming. "Yeah, as of ten minutes ago."  
  
A waitress walked up to them. "Hello, welcome to Doc Magoo's. I'm Denise, and I'll be your waitress today." She set a glass of ice-water before Carter. "Are you ready to order?"  
  
Abby nodded, handing the waitress her menu. "I think I'll have a banana split, and another cup of coffee."  
  
"Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry or mixed ice-cream?" The waitress questioned, momentarily looking up from her pad.  
  
Abby grinned. "Mixed."  
  
She scribbled something on the pad and then looked to Carter. "What can I get you, sir?"  
  
"Hmm… I think I'll have what she's having. Make that two mixed flavor banana splits." As she finished writing on the tablet, Carter handed her his menu, and with a quick nod at them, she walked off to place their order in the kitchen.  
  
Abby looked sweetly across the table at Carter. "Carter?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
She giggled. "You have a piece of fuzz stuck on your shirt." His face reddened as he looked down and tried to wipe it away.  
  
"Where?"  
  
She leaned over, still laughing, and plucked a small piece of fuzzy material from his scrub top. "There." Just as she was about to ease herself back down into her own seat on the other side of the small table, he leaned over and gave her a short, but passionate peck on the lips.  
  
Color rushed to Abby's cheeks as Carter grinned wildly, a warm fuzzy feeling in his heart, a pleasing tingle flowing throughout his limbs. "I've been wanting to do that for a while now."  
  
"What about Susan?" Abby choked, her voice barely above a shocked whisper, her eyes round saucers that were a unique mix of shock and pleasure.  
  
Carter's eyes danced merrily. "Susan who?" Each mechanically leaned in for another kiss, as if pulled together by an invisible magnetic force. This time the kiss was even more passion filled as sparks of electricity between them flew wildly, finally released after months of mounting sexual tension.  
  
Seconds later, they broke apart for a gulp of air. Hearts racing, chests heaving, Carter and Abby gazed into at one-another's eyes, unable to speak. Slowly, Abby lifted her hand to her lips, gingerly touching them and finally wiping them with her pointer finger, while her eyes never broke their intense gaze. "That was … wow, "she whispered as Carter's grin widened ever so slightly. He nodded, his eyes begging her to speak, to make sense of what had just transpired between them.  
  
Her voice was husky, unsure. "Where do we go from here, John? …"  
  
Carter shrugged. "I don't know." Their eyes met again, this time hers begging him for the answer. "I'll tell you what I do know. That … that was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced in my life. I don't to want to lose this, Abby."  
  
She nodded, sadness crossing over her face. "What about Susan?"  
  
"We're over. She knows about us."  
  
"Us?"  
  
A grin spread across his face. "Yeah. I like how that sounds. What do you think?"  
  
She nodded, actions speaking louder than words as she leaned towards him for another passion filled kiss. "Happy Birthday, Abby," Carter murmured.  
  
________________  
  
The End!  
  
It was bad, I know. Blame the snow…. But really, give me your thoughts because I live for feedback... Now comes the question of continuation. As it stands this is a standalone although there is some stuff missing (Abby dealing with her re-aroused alcoholism). There could be a sequel … but there could not … you tell me ( 


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